Rail connection for railway tracks and the like



June 19,1928. 1,674,622

R. KUNICKE RAIL CONNECTION FOR RAILWAY TRACKS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 28, 1923 PP'QZIZZEVMZQQ Patented June 19, 1928 WITH; STATES f ROBERT KUNICKE, .OF

BAIL oonnno'rron FonnAILw AY trnacxs Ann THE LIKE.

Application filed Au ust 28,1923. serial nofesaflsof This invention relates to a new and improved rail connection for railway tracks and thelike. In themalring of tracks for railways and the like steel rails are used and these rails: are placed end to ehdythe adjacontraction. This constitutes a serious" de- 3 feet, for as the wheels ofthe locomotive and cars run along the track theyfniust pass across this space or gap in passing from one rail to another, and this causes the end of the rail to be injured and also is injurious 1 to the wheels and injuriously affects the easy riding of the cars. This also creates unnecessary noise. The present invention has among other objects to provide a rail connection which will obviate these difliculties.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of rail connection embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rail connection shown in Fig. 1".

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the rail having a projection thereon, at the point where the bolt nearest the end passes therethrough.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown for purposes of illustration the ends of two rails 1 and 2 with the space 3 between them. One of these rails is provided with the overlapping part 4 which overlaps a portionof the other rail. A portion of the ball of this other rail is preferably removed or omitted, as shown in Figs. 1 and'Z. The

overlapping portion 4 is preferably integral.

with the rail with which it is associated and at one end thereof. The face of the project-- ing portion 4 and the face of the portion of the ball of the rail cut away, are inclined from the central portion of the rail out-- wardly, s thatthe cross space 3 between the rails consists of two sections at an angle to each other, both extending part way across the ball of the rail. By having the opposed faces of the part 4 and the rail. inclined, a smaller space between these parts can be pr0- vided, and still permit the necessary relative longitudinal movement of the rails due to variations in temperature. I This is due to the fact that 'the two inclined faces do not move-directly toward, each other, but part movement between the two faces. The overlappingportion 4 is connected with the ball of therail and preferably has a web 5 which connects it with the base 6 of the rail, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, there being a space between the web 5 and the web of the rail for the plate 7 which connects the rails together. There is a plate 8 on the other side of the rails andthese plates are-[connectedto, the rails in any suitable manner as by means of. thebolts. The web'o. is provided with a'suitable opening 10 for one of these bolts 9.

It will be seen that with this construction when the wheel passes from one rail to the other across the space 3 it is not required to leave one rail before engaging the other as it will engage the overlapping portion 4 of one of the rails when it passes over the space 3 and Wlll continue to engage this overlapping portion 4 durmg a portion of its engagement with the other rail. It will thus be seen that there will be a smooth passage of the wheel from one rail to the other and that injury to the rails and 'to the wheels will be prevented as will also unnecessary noise.

It will further be seen that the variation of the width of the space 3 due to expansion and contraction will in no manner affect the result as the overlapping portion 4 will always overlap aportion of the rail 1 and act to transferthe wheel from one rail to the other, smoothly and without jar.

It will be noted that the ends of the adjacent rails are uneven and that the space between them is divided into two sections at an angle to each other.

I have described in detail a particular construction embodying the invention, but it is of course evident that the parts may be bodied in the claims hereto appended, and

.BAD .OEYNHAUSEN," GERMANY, .ASSIGNOR no N. BERNARD MPERRETZOFICHICAGO,ILLINOIS I "of the movement is a relative longitudinal H I therefore do not limit myself to the particular construction shown.

I claim:

I 1. A rail connection for railwaytracks comprising two rails adapted to have their ends abut with a space between them, a porti n 1 the ball 01 o e ail be ng cu away, so as to form an inclined face, a projecting portion on the other rail which overlaps the inclined face of the cut away portion of the ball of the first mentioned rail and which carries the wheel acros the space between the rails, the inclined face of each rail extending to 'the'end thereof.

2. A rail connection for railway tracks comprising two rails having their ends abutting, the abutting ends of the balls of said rails each having a 'face in a plane substantially at right angles to the rails and which extends part way across therails, and an inclined face extending in an oblique directio-n across the remaining portion ot the balls 01"- the rails, Sal'd faces being separated the ends of said rails beingu-neyen so that the cross space betweenthein is divided into two sections, one section of said cross space extending at right angles Lpait way across theb'a-lls'of the rails, the other section of said cross space extending at an oblique angle acrossihe remaining portions of the balls of said rails, the two sections connecting so as to form a continuous open cross space between the rails.

4. A rail connection for railway tracks comprising two'rails adapted to havetheir ends abut with a space between them, one of said rails having a projecting part integral therewith connected to the ball, and the base of said rail with a space between it and the Web of the rail for a connecting -.plate between the rails, said projecting part overlapping a portion of the adjacent rail and carrying the wheel from one rail to the other. 1 p I y I Signed at Bremen, Germany, this 20 day of July, 1923. 7

ROBERT 'KUN'IOKE. 

